Aston Villa lost to Manchester United 1-0 in their first game of the season at Villa Park, with United's Adnan Januzaj scoring the only goal in the match.
Despite falling a goal down in the 29th minute to Januzaj's strike, which deflected off Villa defender Ciaran Clark, Villa stuck with the Premier League heavyweights for the majority of the match. Tim Sherwood's men were not successful in their pursuit of bringing the score level due to their poor shot accuracy. We take a look at each individual performance, rating them out of 10.
'Keeper and defence
Brad Guzan: The United States international had another great game between the sticks for Villa, despite conceding one goal, for which Guzan was not at fault. Displaying a superb capability to find his defenders, he showed his ability as a defender in the 20th minute in which he had to come out of position to perform a perfectly timed slide tackle to ensure the United's Memphis Depay had no chance of scoring. 7
Leandro Bacuna: The Dutch defender showed his defending ability when he was needed and showcased a tremendous ability to execute the short pass. Bacuna was a weak link for Villa's defence positionally though, having to rely on center backs Ciaran Clark and Micah Richards to clean up for him when he was caught out of position. 6
Micah Richards: Richards complimented his performance against Bournemouth with yet another good showing, against Manchester United. The Villa new boy showcased his pace and strength to stop United attackers from scoring and also stepped in to save his full backs when they were caught out of position, however went to ground too early for the goal. 7
Ciaran Clark: Clark, along with Micah Richards, led the defence, and he showed superb defending ability. Clark's leadership helped his fellow defenders step up their game in order to not let United double their lead in the second half. Although, the shot from Adnan Januzaj in the 29th deflected off Clark and into the goal, the Irishman was not at fault. 7
Jordan Amavi: The £8million man from OGC Nice did not slow down after his superb performance on opening day, having another great day. Amavi showcased his tremendous defending and showed his attacking ability even more, taking the opportunity to get forward when ever he can, and getting back to his defensive position immediately after the attack was over. Amavi was tremendous going forward and on many occasions sent in dangerous crosses into his forwards, who were at fault themselves for not getting on the end of one. Villa's best player. 8
Midfielders
Jordan Veretout: The Villa new boy showed glimpses of class in his second Premier League match, but struggled to keep up with the Manchester United players. It was evident that Veretout needed more time, though he still had a few nice passes to his new teammates. Also, fitness was an issue in the game, meaning Veretout was taken off and was replaced by Carlos Sanchez in the second half. 5
Idrissa Gueye: The Senegalese midfielder had another productive game in only his second Premier League sppearance for Villa. Gueye was tremendous in getting up and down the pitch, and did well creating chances when the opportunity came around. Showcasing his defensive talents, Gueye did well intercepting passes and helping the men behind him when needed. 7
Ashley Westwood: Westwood in his first match since the club announced his contract extension was terrific in his role as the main distributer in the midfield. The Englishman created chances on several occasions and he contributed very well in the defensive situations. 7
Attackers
Jordan Ayew: One Villa's new players was placed in a wide role in his second league game, and had a similar performance to in the Bournemouth match. Ayew showed glimpses of class, but never really silenced critics. The former Lorient player left fans expecting more once again, but it will take time for the Ghanaian forward to adjust to the Premier League. Booked for diving. 5
Gabby Agbonlahor: Had a disappointing showing in the first match at Villa Park in the new season. Agbonlahor showed his mind blowing pace, but was unable to convert on any chances in a striker role where finishing is demanded. The Englishman left fans frustrated and begging for more in the upcoming game against Crystal Palace. 5
Scott Sinclair: In just his second competitive game since making a permenant move to Villa this window, Sinclair certainly did not show the best performance of his young career. Sinclair did not have any shots on target to challenge Manchester United keeper Sergio Romero, and struggled all night against a rigid United defence before being subbed off. 5
Substitutes
Rudy Gestede: Not given enough service to make a difference but his physicality did help Villa mount attacks. 6
Carlos Sanchez: Provided fresh legs late on, but no real contribution. 5